SOME LINGUISTIC SUGGESTIONS IN CONDUCTING MALAY LANGUAGE CLASSES

Despite some skeptics, most foreign language teachers, especially those of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)/English as a Second Language (ESL), advocate Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and have long been conducting student-centered communicative activities in their classrooms. This paper argues that CLT is generally ineffective in teaching quiet students and students with little motivation. In the context of teaching Malay as a foreign language, it introduces an alternative teaching approach that requires teacher-centered drill activities, which have been shown effective in EFL teaching in Japan, a country known for its typically quiet students, most of whom do not see a point in acquiring any practical skills of English. The paper demonstrates the necessity of explaining basic syntactic rules, some of which tend to be taken for granted, that are crucial in helping students of Malay develop a systematic grammar of their target language. Keywords: English education; Communicative language teaching; Japan; Grammar

Voices of Quiet Students: Introverted Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Educational Experiences and Leadership Preparation

The nursing profession needs leaders from across the temperament continuum. Educational environments are conducive to extroverts’ learning but can have detrimental outcomes for introverted students. Introverted nurses avoid leadership positions because they have been taught extroversion traits are needed. This study explores perceptions of seven RN-BSN students who work as nurses and self-identify as introverts. Interviews with participants were conducted to ascertain perceptions of their educational experiences including preparation for leadership positions. Four themes emerged as: (1) stop making me sick, and I will appreciate learning, (2) respect my silence, and I will eventually speak, (3) recognize my strengths, and I will grow in confidence as a leader, and (4) adapt the environment, and I will learn more. Implications for nurse educators include being mindful to avoid bias and reduce stigma, considering changes to teaching approaches to create equitable learning spaces, and respecting silence in the classroom.

Between Speaking and Silence: A Study of Quiet Students

Through a precise analysis of written reflections and interviews, Mary M. Reda examines perceptions of speaking and silent students in her book Between Speaking and Silence. Using her first-year composition class for observation, she explores major elements of students’ decisions to speak or be silent frequently depend on teachers, classroom relationships, and students’ senses of identity.